Freight car



June 12, 1934. w, F. KIESEL, JR

FRE I GHT CAR Filed Maron '7, 1931 6 Sheets-Sheet l TTORNEYS.

June l2, 1934. w F. KIESEL, JR

FREIGHT CAR Filed March 7, 1931 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 j ZJ S. M e Y T. 5 E ,f ww W /l n N K T 1 T z F O O h M w M o o m rn u a a K a d u u n n z l u a u u a z I E a u 1 a z a n a u s u a u c cz WJWC .w o o 7u 0 D 0 o o o 0 Z o o o o o o o o o .7V o o o o o o o o o W o o c o o o o o o m! o o o o o o o o o o o .oooooooooooooooowwoooooooooocoooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooQ. T ,v MNHN. @E QW u 1-11.! .Hurulnlhll.. .....-....I..

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FREIGHT CAR Filed March 7, 1931 6 Shee'tS-Sheet 3 June l2, 1934- w. F. KIESEL, .1R

FREIGHT CAR Filed March 7, 1931 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR: j/Lfillzwmjfzeseg;

ATTORNEYS.

W1 TNESSES ya a.

June l2, 1934.

w. F. KIESEL, JR

FREIGHT CAR Filed March 7, 1931 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 W! TNESSES INVENTOR: j M, J/l/zZZzZzwEJfI/esegfg w%ZL%TT0RNEYS.

June 12, 1934. WY F KgESEL7 1R 1,962,717

FREIGHT GAR Filed March 7, 1931 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Wl TNESSES I N V EN TOR.-

BY f@ E t gg M ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 1 2, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention, while relating generally to railway cars, has particular application to gondola. cars and especially to relatively long low-sided gondola cars. v

One object of the invention is to provide in such a car side trusses having top and bottom chords which are particularly adapted to support superimposed loads and to transmit such loads to the body bolsters, the side trusses being so formed as to come well Within the limits established by road clearances.

Another object of the invention is to provide a body bolster construction characterized by the inclusion of a welded butt joint between compression ends of the body bolster diaphragms and the car center sill, whereby continuous meta-l, in substantial alignment, is available to transfer compression stresses to the center sill, thus reducing the stress in the outer compression bar.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cross bearer construction characterized by the inclusion of a similar welded butt joint between the upper transverse members of the cross bearer and aligned portions of the car center sill and the further inclusion of a continuous lower transverse member extending beneath the center sill and joined tothe upper members by a diaphragm.

Other objects and advantages characterizing the invention, including those resulting from the combination in one car of some or all of the specic features outlined above, will become more fully apparent from the description which follows hereinafter of one embodiment or example of the invention, having reference to the accompanying drawings. Of the drawings:

Fig. I is a plan vieirl of one end of a gondola car.

Fig. II is a side elevation of the same.

Fig III is a sectional plan view of the opposite end of the car, the section being taken along the lines indicated at III-III of Fig. V.

Fig. IV is a sectional elevation of the latter end of the car, the section being taken along the lines indicated at IV-IV of Fig. V.

Fig. V is an end view of the car.

Fig. VI is a cross section of the car, taken asl indicated by the lines VI-VI of Fig. I.

Fig. V11 is a cross section of the car, taken as indicated by the lines VII- V11 of Fig. I.

Fig. VIII is a cross section of the car, taken as (Cl. 10S-406) Fig. XI is a perspective view of the cross bearer shown in Fig. VII; and,

Figs. XII, XIII, XIV and XV are perspective views of the several forms of side stakes used throughout the length of the car.

There is shown in the drawings a relatively long low sided gondola car comprising generally a center sill 1 with body holsters 2 at the end portions thereof, main load bearing trusses, comprehensively designated at 3, joined to the .ends of the body bolsters 2 and cross bearers 4 by which intermediate portions of the center sill 1 are supported upon the side trusses 3.

Each side truss 3 comprises a top chord 5, a bottom chord 6 and stiiening members in the form of side stakes 7, 8, 9 and 10 rigidly connecting the top and bottom chords at intervals of their length. The side walls comprise plates 11 which are riveted to the top chords 5, to the bottom chords 6, to the side stakes '7, 8, 9 and 10, and to the ends of the body holsters 2 and cross bear- .ers 4. At the end of the car, corner castings 12 are joined to the ends of the side trusses 3, and between the corner castings 12 corrugated end gates 13 are provided. The particular construction of the car ends, however, forms no part of the present invention, but is the subject of my co-pending application for Letters Patent, Serial No. 520,798, filed March 7, 1931. At the corners, the car is provided with ladders 14. Side steps 15 and a hand brake, the wheel of which is diagrammatically shown at 16, are also provided.

The top chord 5 of the side trusses 3 is in the form of a Z-bar of which, as shown in Figs. VI and VII, the web 17 is disposed horizontally and riveted to flanges 18 at the tops of the side stakes '7 and 10. A downturned flange 19 on the inside of the top chord is joined to the inner sides of the side stakes by rivets which also pass through the plates 11 forming the side walls of the car. At the outside of each top chord 5 there is an upturned flange 2 0 which serves as an abutment preventing transverse shifting of bearing pieces when the car is carrying superimposed loads. Such bearing pieces may be securely fastened to the top chords 5 by means of clamp members passing through perforations 21 in the webs 17. When superimposed loads are carried, the load is transmitted through the rigid girder construction of the side trusses 3 to the ends of the body bolsters 2 and from thence to the end portions of the center sill 1.

The bottom chord 6 of each side truss 3 is in the form of a bar of rectangular cross section with the long axis of its cross section disposed in a substantially vertical plane. It will be noted that the bar 6 extends continuously from one end vof the car to the other, and throughout a portion tional flat bar 22 disposed at the inside of the bar 6. As shown in Figs. VII and IX, the two bars 6 and 22 engage between them the bottom margins of the side plates 11. The bars 6 and 22, as well as the bottom marginal edges of the side plates 11, are inclined downward from points adjacent to the side stakes 8 to points adjacent to the ends of the cross bearers 4. Between the cross bearers 4. the bars 6 and 22, as well as the bottom marginal edges of the side plates 11, extend horizontally in a plane substantially below the bottom of the center sill 1. The formation of the main load bearing trusses 3 as explained above effects a right girder construction particularly adapted for carrying superimposed loads; and by the provision of bottom chords and side stakes of the nature described the exterior dimensions of the car at the sides come well within the limits established by road clearances without sacrifice of the carrying capacity of the car. As the bottom chords 6 of the side trusses extend vertically downward substantially below the floor level of the `car at the regions over the trucks, and a greater amount at the region between thecross bearers-which construction is known as fish-belly construction-and as the truss parts projecting below the fioor 'level are substantially braced, at intervals, by means of cross members, it will be apparent that the top chords, braced against lateral spreading due to the substantial stake construction, are, therefore, particularly adapted to carry superimposed loads by the provision of bearing pieces between their upstanding flanges so as to prevent serious deformation.

The body bolsters 2, as shown in Figs. VI and X, comprise wing portions'23 disposed at opposite sides of the center sill 1 and joined thereto. It will be noted that the center sill 1 is made up of two flanged longitudinal beams 24, resembling I-beams, which are connected together at intervals of their length. Each beam 24 is provided with an outwardly extending top flange 25 and a T-fiange 26 at the bottom. At the body bolsters, the beams 24 are joined together by center plate reinforcing castings 27 which serve as spacing members or separators for the center sill beams 24 as well as housings for the king pins of trucks, the wheels of which are diagrammatically indicated at 28.

The'wing portions or diaphragms 23 of the body holsters are shown in perspective in Fig. X. Each diaphragm 23 includes an upper tension member 29 in the form of a relatively wide hat plate extending horizontally from the center sill 1 to the side of the car, a lower compression member 30 in the form of a fiat plate inclined downwardly from the lower edge of the bottom chord 6 towards the bottom of the center sill, and connecting vertical members 31 integrally united to the tension member 29 and compression member 30. At their inner ends the diaphragms 23 are formed to fit between the top and bottom anges 25 and 26 of the center sill beams 24 by the provision of recessed portions 32 and 33 having contours substantially corresponding to those of the flanges 25 and 26. At their inner ends the members 23 are also provided withoppositely turned flanges 34 which abut against the webs of the beams 24 and are riveted thereto.. Circular openings 35 reinforced by annular beads 36 and ribs 3'? are provided near the inner ends of the diaphragme 23. Near the center of each diaphragm 23, the construction is reinforced by ribs 40 which, as shown in Fig. VI, are disposed vertically above depending pads 41 used for side bearings.

The inner ends of the compression members 30 of the body bolsters 2 are disposed in such manner that their inner edges terminate short of the center sill and they are in substantial alignment with the outer edges of the ilanges 26 of the center sill beams 24. By means of a weld at the gap between the opposing edges of the compression members 30 and the flanges 26 the parts are joined together as indicated at 42. Accordingly the compression strains at the bolsters 2 are transmitted through continuous metal, in substantial alignment transverse to the-center sill, and with substantially uniform surface, thus insuring a minimum of distortion, from the side trussses to the center sill beams 24 where compression strains are resisted by the center plate reinforcing casting 27. 'Ihe compression members 30 are also joined to the center sill by means of a bottom cover plate 43 which serves as an additional compression member but extends beneath the center sill 1 and is riveted to the lower flanges 26 of the beams 24 as well as to the diaphragm compression members 30. An additional plate 44, which includes a portion 45 adapted to bear upon the center plate of the truck, is also provided at each bolster 2. It will thus be seen that loads are communicated from the side trusses 3 to the center sill 1 through the outer compression member 43 and through the diaphragm compression members 30 which are joined thereto by rivets. Hence the value of the outer compression member 43 is enhanced by the area of the parts at the butt welded joints 42. The tension members 29 at the top of the body bolsters 2 are riveted to the door plates 46 forming the bottom of the car. and are also riveted to plates 47 which extend transversely across the car at areas above the body holsters. The floor plates 46, as well as the transverse plates 47, are also riveted to the top iianges 25 of the center sill beams 24.

The cross bearers 4 which are disposed along the center sill 1 at points intermediate the body bolsters 2, as shown in Figs. VII and XI, are reticulated and comprise in each instance a diaphragm having integral therewith lower transverse members 48 which extend from one side of the car to the other, upper transverse members 49 which extend from the sides of the car inward to a point adjacent the top flangesl 25 of the center sill beams 24,'and diagonal stiffening members 50. At the center portion each cross bearer 4 is formed with a saddle 51 upon which the bottom flanges 26 of the center sill beams 24 rest and are secured by rivets, the saddle portion 51 being braced by vertical ribs 52. A continuous flange 53 extends entirely around the cross bearer 4. To this ange 53 the floor plates 46 at the bottom of the car and the side plates 11 and side stakes 10 are riveted. A longitudinal cover plate 54 is riveted lto the oor plates 46 and 46a, as well as to the top flanges 25 of the center sill beams 24, and thus the upper transverse members 49 of the cross bearers 4 are indirectly riveted to the center sill 1. At the cross bearers 4 the upper transverse members 49 form the compression members through which the weight of the center sill 1 is transmitted to the side trusses 3.' The inner edges of the compression members 49 terminate short of the center sill and there is provided a butt weld at 55 in the gap between the inner edges of the transverse members 49 and the outer edges of the top anges 25 of the center sill beams 24, whereby compression strains at the cross bearers 4 are transmitted through continuous metal in alignment and with substantially uniform surface.. In addition to the diagonal stiffening members 50, which are provided with reinforcing anges 56, there are relatively short vertical webs 57 which brace the inner ends of the upper transverse members 49. Between the various members 48, 49, 50 and 57, which make up the cross bearers, there are open spaces 58, 59 and 60, which serve to lessen the weight of the cross bearers. By reason of their construction, the cross bearers 4 are relatively 'light and yet are amply strong enough to transmit the loads on the center sill 1 to the side trusses 3. An additional opening 61 is provided in the central portion of the lower transverse member 48.

At spaced intervals along the length of the car additional transverse members in the form of I-beams 62 are provided, these members being joined to the side stakes 9 and to the center sill 1 by angular plates 63, 64.

As shown in Fig. XII, the side stakes 7, which are located at the ends of the body bolsters 2, are of special formation. These side stakes are of trough-shaped section throughout, and are secured at their flanges 65 to the side plates 11 of the car. At their upper ends, the side stakes 7 are formed with horizontal flanges 18 upon which the webs 17 of the Z-bar top chords 5 rest and are secured by rivets. At their bottom ends, the side stakes 7'are formed with recessed portions 66 which accommodate the bottom chords 6, and adjacent to the recesses 66 the side stakes are formed with a pad 67 which serves as a jacking pad by means of which the car may be raised from its truck. The jacking pad 67 is also formed to proile an annular ring 68 f' which is designed to act as a roping staple.

The trough-shaped portion 69 of the side stake 7 is tapered slightly at the top, as shown at 70, and at its bottom it is cut away at 71 to permit the hook to be passed through the ring portion 68.

'Ihe remaining side stakes 8, 9 and 10 are of somewhat different size and formation, as shown in Figs. XIV, XV and XIII, but are of troughshaped section and are riveted at their flanges 72, 73 and 74 to the side plates 11 of the car. These stakes are tapered near their lower ends to give ample clearance. In advance of each cross bearer 4 a splice plate 63 is provided, serving as an extension between the bottom of the side stake 9 and the top edge of the bottom chord 6.

It will be especially noted that the side trusses 3 are so formed and united to the ends of the cross bearers 4 and body bolsters 2 that, even though the gondola car is relatively long, it is nevertheless well vadapted to support superimposed loads at the center without placing undue strain on the sides of the car which are of girder-like construction. By providing welded butt joints between the compression members of the body holsters 2 and the flanges of the center sill 1, and between the compression members of the cross bearers and the flanges of the center sill 1, the loads between the side trusses and the center sill are in effect transmitted through continuous metal.

Referring to the oor construction of the car, as illustrated in Fig. I and Figs. VI to IX, it will be seen that the end floor plate 46 extends continuously across the car from one side truss to the other, and in a longitudinal direction the end oor plate 46 extends from the end of the car to a point beyond the bolster 2, terminating at the transverse beam 62 which connects the side stakes 8 with each other. The balance of the oor plating comprises intermediate oor plates 46a which in the present instance are not continuous from side to side but terminate, as shown in Fig. VII, at the top anges 25 of the center sill. At the body bolsters 2 the transversely extending cover plates 47 are provided, and these bolster cover plates are riveted to the upper tension members 29 of the bolsters through the continuous end oor plates 46. Above the center sill 1 the longitudinally extending cover plate 54 is provided, and this cover plate: is riveted to the center sill flanges 25 through the intermediate cover plates 46a. The center sill cover plate 54 is disposed in the same plane as that of the b01- ster cover plates, and the ends of the center sill cover plate 54 abut against the inner side edges of the bolster cover plates 47. Accordingly, the customary overlapping of cover plates is avoided, and a saving of metal is effected. At the same time. however, adequate bolster and center sill strength is provided above the center plates of the car trucks and the oor construction is amply reinforced throughout its length and breadth.

While I have described my invention as embodied in a particular type of freight car and. with reference to preferred forms which the constituent elements of the car and the means by which they are combined may take, it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the particular construction as herein described without departing from the spirit of the invention, and that certain features of the invention may be used to advantage without a corresponding use of other features..

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a gondola car, a center sill, body holsters thereon, and side frames of girder-like construction joined to the ends of said bolsters, each side frame comprising a Z-bar top chord, a bottom chord in the form of a vertically disposed flat plate, and stakes rigidly connecting said top and bottom chords, said stakes being recessed at their lower ends opposite the ends of said holsters to receive said bottom chords, and said bottom chords and side walls extending downward substantially below the floor level of the car, at the regions between the holsters, and being tied t0- gether at levels below the center sill.

2. In a gondola car, body holsters, and side frames joined to the endsof said holsters, each side frame comprising a top chord, a bottom chord in the form of a vertically disposed at WILLIAM F. KIESEL, JR.

the side walls and botj; 

